Learning From Memories
by karmascreams
Summary: Years after the war, when Harry has come to terms with everything, he goes back to Hogwarts to teach some lessons in Defense using his experience and memories as a basis.


**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters from Harry Potter.

**A/N:** I've wanted to do something like this for a while, and while I'm sure it's not great, I'm happy with it. So review if you will, it's here for you to enjoy.

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Students all through the Great Hall were talking to each other excitedly. The week before finals was upon them. While you might think it strange that they were excited, well, their excitement had nothing to do with their upcoming exams. They were actually all talking about the visit that was about to happen sometime in the afternoon. A certain wizard who had made a point of coming to the school for a week before their exams, and had done so for the last five years.

Now this wizard wasn't just any old wizard, he wasn't even old. The wizard was in fact the Man-That-Won, Harry Potter. His history was well known, and only became more so as the years stretched on. Each year he would come to the school he had gained his own education, and for a week, he would take over the Defense Against The Dark Arts class for their professor.

Each year he would meet with each class, and each year he would teach them something new, even if they had already been taught it during their regular classes. For instance, for the first years, he would teach them the disarming spell. No one knew what he taught the seventh years, as none of the students were allowed to talk about it.

All chatter stopped as the doors to the Great Hall opened, and the man himself stepped through, and gave a sheepish smile at all the students, before making his way to the head table. Once there, McGonagall stood and greeted him, before turning to the school and addressing them. "For the past five years Hogwarts has gratefully hosted this man, as he comes in for a week to teach special classes in something that no doubt saved his life, and the lives of many others. If you would all extend warm welcome to him, like I know you will, we can get back to our breakfast while he goes and sets up whatever it is that he has prepared for us this year. Mr. Potter, welcome back."

Harry nodded and instead of leaving the Great Hall immediately, he took a place at the table next to the Headmistress, and while no one could hear what they were talking about, they knew it wasn't bad.

The first class to have Mr. Potter this year, was the first years, who hadn't really known what to expect. They had just been told to be ready.

The second after the last person entered the room, the door slammed shut, making them all jump.

Amy Anders, a Ravenclaw, turned to the front after everyone had all whipped around to stare at the door, and noticed that Mr. Potter wasn't even there yet. Turning to her friend, she stared at her with wide eyes. Just what was going on? And what was going to happen?

A slytherin first year rolled his eyes at the dramatics, and plopped himself in his chair. "It was probably just Peeves, you guys. It's not like Mr. Potter would hurt us anyway, we're just first years."

Everyone got settled and started talking to their friends, but their voices soon petered out, as they all took notice that Mr. Potter was indeed in the room, and he was waiting patiently for them to stop talking. When he had all their attention, he turned to the slytherin that had spoken, and asked for his name.

"Jacob Parsons, Sir," the young slytherin spoke, his voice not nearly as casual sounding as it was before.

"Mr. Parsons," Harry said, taking to leaning against the large desk at the front of the classroom. "Are you by chance a muggle-born?"

Jacob nodded, and when Harry smiled, he spoke. "What does that have to do with anything? I thought you had nothing against muggleborns?"

Harry actually laughed, before replying. "I don't, just that it makes sense that you would make a comment such as the one that was your reply to the door slamming, while some of your other classmates were panicked. The classmates that were panicking, I'd guess you were from magical families, am I correct?" As the students who were indeed frightened, nodded, he continued. "While you guys are young, and you probably don't remember much from the war, but you probably did take notice of how your parents reacted to loud, sudden noises. Now without getting any more into that, I'm sure you all know my story, am I right?"

The students nodded, even the muggleborns. Everyone knew his story, it was one of their first lessons in the new history class that had been set up a few years prior.

"Any questions for me then?"

Amy Anders raised her hand, along with a few other people. When he called on her, it was clear that she was in awe of him. "Did you really fight a basilisk in your second year?"

"I did," Harry said, swallowing the lump that always formed in his throat. It wasn't that he had trouble talking about what he had done, he had gotten over that before he had even considered teaching anyone, but the questions that sometimes came out of nowhere.

"Is it true that you fought off hundreds of dementors in your third year?"

"I'm not sure if there were a hundred, but yes, I fought off dementors in my third year," he answered.

"To save the man that wanted to kill you?"

A moment of silence passed before Harry answered, and everyone noticed. "He wasn't trying to kill me, he was trying to kill the man that betrayed my parents, and had taken residence with my best friend in his animagus form."

"What happened with the man then? The one who betrayed your parents?"

"He was reminded of a life debt," Harry said, and no matter how many times he had tried to control his reaction to Pettigrew, his tone held a harsh signature.

"So he's dead?" the same kid asked. Harry merely nodded, not even looking away.

Before anyone could ask more questions, Harry moved the lesson along. "My first year, can any of you tell me of the significant events that happened?"

One of the kids that had been silent up to this point, spoke up. "My father was right, you are right full of yourself."

Everyone turned sharply to look at the kid, who was clearly in slytherin. While the kids glared daggers at him, but Harry just laughed.

"Your father must not know me too well then," Harry replied. "The only reason I asked was because if I know what you know and don't know, it will help move things along just that much quicker. But since you so rudely interrupted, I'll just have to pull out everything."

The students all watched as he moved around the desk and took out a silver bowl with runes covering every bit of it. They were transfixed as he set it on the desk and then put his own wand to his head.

Amy Anders spoke up again, "It's a pensieve! One of the other dorm mates told me about them! They show memories! Mr. Potter, are you going to show us what happened in your third year?" she asked excitedly.

Harry just continued to pull his memories from his head, placing them in the pensieve, and when he finally stopped, he waved his wand in an intricate manner, and the memories he put in the bowl started playing over it like a movie for the class. Harry didn't bother to watch along with them, rather he watched their faces, particularly the boy who had spoken against his methods. When his memories finally stopped Harry quietly took them back, letting the children calm down.

"The reason I come here to teach you and reteach you, is because of how horrible most of my teachers were. Each year I will let you watch some of my memories, and will allow you to ask some questions. After the new questions are answered, I will teach you a spell, maybe two, until you've mastered it. Now, from what you saw, what questions do you have of me?"

"Are you still friends with Hermione and Ron?" a girl asked.

"They are my best friends," Harry answered, a smile filling his otherwise blank face.

"What happened to the three-headed dog?" a boy asked.

"I actually don't know," Harry commented.

"What did you see in the mirror?" Amy asked.

Harry's smile flickered for a second, before he replied. "My heart's greatest desire."

"Which was?" another girl asked, swooning.

"A pair of socks," he said quietly, and in his head he could hear Ron laughing.

"Was the stone really destroyed?"

"I assume so, I had, nor have, any reasons to doubt what Dumbledore said," Harry said, before taking a peak at his watch. Before anyone else could ask another question, he told them to get up. When every last person was out of their chair, Harry charmed the desks over to one side and instructed them to take their wands out. "The spell I'm going to teach you is one that I'm well known for using, the disarming spell. Now, can any one do that?"

One boy put his hand in the air, and Harry immediately summoned him forward. "Okay now, I won't put up a fight, hit me with it."

The boy stared at Harry like a deer caught in headlights, and shook his head. "I can't do that to you!"

Harry gave the boy a pointed look, and when he still just stood there shaking his head, Harry sent his own curse at him, snatching the boys wand from the air.

"An enemy isn't going to just wait for you to get up the courage to curse them, so," Harry handed the boy his wand back. "Curse me."

Behind them the slytherin boy with an attitude sent his own, darker curse, at Harry. No one moved as a Harry whipped around, deflected the curse, and sent an incarcerating curse at the boy. "Well," Harry said, turning back to the rest of the class. "That should deter anyone else from doing that. Now, he'll keep. Curse me!"

The boy almost wet his pants, before he quickly cast the curse at the wizard hero. When the curse connected, he was relieved to see that Harry actually smiled.

"Good, now, you all know how to say the curse right?" When they all nodded he continued. "Good, partner up, I'll come around and help those who need it out, by the end of class, all of you will get the chance to take my wand from me, okay?" Nods went all around, while the slytherin who was tied up merely glared. Harry turned to him and pursed his lips. "I am one of the Ministry's top classed aurors, and you tried to curse me with a, at best, third year spell? That is a criminal offense. I could have you expelled, your wand snapped, and your father in Azkaban. I won't do that though, instead, after class, I'll take you up to the Headmistress' office, where at worse, you'll be serving detention for the rest of your school career. If you apologize, and talk to me, I will convince her to only make it a years worth, so what's it going to be?"

"You're the reason my father is ALREADY in Azkaban! He's a good man, he was never a death eater!" The slytherin hissed.

"What's your father's name?" Harry asked, taking a moment to check on everyone. He took note of the few he would go around helping, but at this point almost the entire class had mastered the spell.

"Ian Lucas," the slytherin said. "He wasn't a death eater!"

Harry closed his eyes for a minute, mentally calling up the list of known death eaters, and after taking a minute to scan it, he sighed. "Some truths are harder to accept than others," Harry said, turning to the boy. "Your father's trial was by the book, just like all the others were. He was given veritaserum, he admitted to taken the mark, and then gave details about raids he took part in. I'm sorry kid, but he was in league with Tom."

"There has to be a mistake! There has to have been!" The kid started crying and shaking his head. "It was a farce then, it wasn't really veritaserum, it made him tell you guys what you wanted to hear! He wasn't a death eater!"

Harry bit his lip and gathered the class' attention. "At the end of the week before I leave, each and every one of you will be given the chance to demonstrate your skill against me, and by that I mean I'm giving you a free shot to disarm me. But I'm afraid I have a matter to attend to right now, so if you all with gather your things, class is dismissed." With that he turned to the slytherin who was now just sitting in shock, not even realizing that the incarcerates spell put on him had been taken off, and picked him up with an arm under his shoulder he led the student to the office at the back of the room.

No one saw the slytherin again until later that night, and he was still just as catatonic. Mr. Potter hadn't even been seen.

The next few days ran by much like the first one, except with less questions, and not one out of place curse. For the second years, he let them see the memory of the dead basilisk, not the actual fighting, or what happened with Tom, and they were shocked by the size of it. One student asked if he had been down to the Chamber to see if it was actually as big as he remembered it. Harry just shook his head, telling him he had no desire to even check. When asked what spell he was going to teach them in parallel to his second year, his mood brightened and he told them that he was just going to teach them how to dodge. The second years all agreed that next year would be better, and Harry laughed and shook his head as he heard the sentient.

The third years all got to see his memory of fighting off the dementors, and after they all got over their shock, someone asked him what the screaming was. Harry was very quiet when he revealed that it was the memory of the night his parents died. Like every year he showed this memory, the third years weren't seen at lunch that day, preferring to send letters off to their parents and guardians. He had subsequently taught them the basics of the patronus charm, before going on to teach them a few of the spells they had said they were having troubles with.

The fourth years were equally as shocked by the memories Harry let them see. He refused to show them what happened in the graveyard, and even when they begged, he had just told them very firmly, that they were lucky to even see any of the memories he had already shared with them the last four years. They had all quietly apologized, and even received and apology of their own from Harry. The spell they were all excited to learn was the summoning spell, and when the last person finally got it, he taught them how to bring up a shield.

When it was the fifth years' turn, they were shown what happened at the ministry, minus the death of his godfather, and how he had tried to cast the torture hex at Bellatrix. They all asked almost collectively what he had done to expel Voldemort from possessing him, and he smiled, before telling them. They all were surprised that it was as simple as thinking of those he loved, but all agreed that a man so evil probably would get sick of that. He then guided them through the spells he knew would be on their owl exam, and helped each of them with the spells they had troubles with. At the end of the sessions, they all felt very confident about their chances of getting O's.

The six years were all surprised when Harry told them that he wouldn't be sharing any memories. When he then told them that he knew each of their scores for the OWL Defense exam, they were even more shocked. But then he went around and again helped them refine their spell work. Students that couldn't produce a patronus before, had left the class with a corporeal patronus following. The hallways looked like a zoo for a short time before the students could no longer hold them.

When it was time for the seventh years to learn just what Harry put them through, they almost wished they hadn't come to class. Instead of seeing memories from the war, Harry showed them what his classes were like in his fourth year. The friendly man they thought they knew before wasn't in class with them when the memories finished, and one by one, Harry asked them if they would like to take shot at shaking off his Imperius. Only a handful of the students decided that it was worth a try, and out of the handful, only one of them was actually able. When they asked why he decided to take this course of action for his classes for their year group, his reply had them shaking their heads.

"You can't spill the beans to the younger years, there isn't a chance of them getting it out of you because they are all consumed with doing well in their exams, they won't bother you. Best to keep it a surprise. But now, you're going to be entering the real world, getting jobs. You all now know what someone looks like under the curse, and one of you can shake it. If any of it helps in the future, good, but if not, you know, and that's also good in my book. Now enough with this serious discussion, this is your final year, and your days away from your NEWTS so," Harry paused and took out a couple bottles of Firewhiskey, and conjured as many glasses as there were students. "Take a breather."

Before he left the castle, Harry trekked up to the Headmistress' office, and walked in. He was a little surprised that she wasn't there, but instead of just sitting, he walked up to Dumbledore's portrait and started to talk to him about the going on's in his life. "Ginny is expecting again, another boy," he told his former Headmaster.

"Ah, another bundle of joy, have you two picked out a name yet?"

Harry blushed and nodded. "We've decided to name him after two of the bravest people we knew," he admitted. He picked his eyes up from the floor and stared directly at Dumbledore. "I hope you don't mind sir."

"Of course not!" Dumbledore beamed. "I'm humbled to know you think of me in such a way. If I may ask, who else are you naming him after?" Harry's eyes flashed over to Snape's portrait, who had been trying his best to pretend to be asleep. "I see," Dumbledore said, a bright smile stretching across the canvas. "A unique name for another special child."

"We thought about Remus, but this one just felt right," Harry explained.

"No need to explain Harry," Albus said. "I'm sure Severus would be delighted to know you thought of him in the same light as me."

Snape's eyes snapped open and he fixed Harry with a glare. "You are not naming your spawn after me Potter, I forbid it."

"Good thing you're just a painting then, huh?" Harry replied, and Snape scoffed.

"I wasn't brave, I was surviving. Don't think I didn't play both sides Potter, don't taint your child with my name," Snape said, and for a moment Harry thought he might be pleading with him.

"Ah Harry," McGonagall said, coming into the office. "I thought I'd find you here, are you ready to face those first years?"

Harry laughed and nodded. "Just a moment though," he said and turned back to Snape. "Just because you don't think you were brave, doesn't mean you weren't. And yes, you might have played both sides, but I'm not 'tainting' my child with your name. So just suck it up, because in eleven years he might just land himself in this office a time or two. Good day Albus," Harry said before turning and walking away. He did, after all, promise first years that they'd be allowed to curse him.


End file.
